Friday, 8 February 2013

Echoes of Winter - Giveaway!

Echoes of Winter – Review.

Echoes of Winter is an
extraordinarily realistic tale of what wolves endure to survive. It
comes across as though it was written to inspire the next generation
whilst aiming to build a keen understanding of the trials they must go
through. Not only does it involve wolves as we cross paths with Cougars,
Bears, Lynx’s and many more animals. Echoes of Winter crosses the
boundaries of reality with fantasy and opens the mind to a world of
wonder whilst staying true to each animals characteristics. I’ve never
crossed a book that wraps you up so much into the world of your
characters where you love some, and love to hate others. This debut
novel has it all, and its author Dominique Goodall has every right to be
proud of the world she has endeavoured to create.

As we turn the pages we are greeted with a young wolf by the name of Convel, as he returns to his pack having brought winter upon them with his song. It is within his mind that he is born to lead, and lead he shall. Tensions build with his birth pack and he takes the challenge with the Alpha, his father, and wins. After winning over the Alpha, he decides to leave in search of his own pack rather than lead the one he had claimed. What lies in wait for this young wolf waits to be seen within the pages that will hold your attention long after you’ve turned that very last page. It is guaranteed to leave you desperately wanting more. He is the novice within the wolf world but carries with him everything that is needed to run his own pack – will he succeed?

Not only do we follow the tale of Convel, but we also cross paths with Siltin, the Cougar that goes out of her way to control everything and everyone within what she sees as her own territory. She is the character that every novel should contain, the one character you just love to hate but are gripped by her behaviour. The more you read about her, the more you want to understand her behaviour, the more you want to dig deeper to the roots of her reasoning. She is the one character that is willing to kill one of her own just to weave her spiteful thinking into those that follow her, will this be her downfall?

But wait, there is yet more. There is yet another character worthy of mention. A young she-wolf wandering for that place that calls to her, one place that will become her home. Singer is the young she-wolf that travels not alone as she sets out to find the pack where she belongs. Her story is one of heartbreak, and you can’t help but fall in love with her and feel sorry for what she has had to endure in the past. But the past, as we learn, cannot be held onto while danger waits the lives of those she walks with, and of those she will come to cross. She is strong, yet vulnerable to her own emotions as she is pulled ever onwards to a fight that she knows nothing of. She can’t explain the calling she feels within only that she knows her presence will be needed in order to tip the scales in favour of the hand that deserves it.

Truly it has
taken an imagination of a grand scale to write such an engrossing story
that holds you right to the very end. How the author was able to keep
track of so many characters whilst throwing in some unexpected twists is
beyond my current state of comprehension, and deserves some noted
credit and attention on its own. I’m sure that it was of no easy task in
the long run, or at least it would have a challenge for many authors
out there.

You can see with clarity the level of understanding
this author has of how her characters would behave in the wild and has
strived to keep that reality within her story of imagination and well
defined descriptions. To turn the page and read the detail was to jump
straight in and be right there as the events unfolded. This is a must
read for anyone who holds a spark of interest in wolves of animals as a
whole, from the young to the young at heart – this one is one that
should fill shelves everywhere. I can only hope that the next book in
the series holds the same level of imagination and keeps you as captive
as each page of this one has. That very fact waits to be seen, with
great interest might I add.

Rating - 5 stars out of 5!

How would you like your chance to win one of THREE ebook copies of - Echoes of Winter, the stunning debut novel by Dominique Goodall?

About Me

Jennifer spent many years without daring to lift a pen, without writing a word that wasn't forced. That was however, until the year 2008 arrived. It dawned the starting of a new age, an age where love and passion for writing arrived. She spent that year and the following two, writing just over 250 poems. It was these that kick started her passion to take it further. When 2011 arrived, so too did the urge to expand her depth and level and her first novel was born. That novel is still on going. Others since then have birthed ideas, so dare I say – Watch this space.